The Tiverton field hockey team hugged, screamed and cheered as they ran to center field after beating Chariho/Prout 1-0 in the Division 3 championship at Roger Williams University on Sunday night. It was the third time that they beat the Chargers as they ended their season with a record of 13-3. After the win, Tigers head coach Mikella DaSilva and the team celebrated as they have been doing after every win this season by performing the worm. 

 

"It's been out ritual," she said. "We've been doing it after every win." 

 

Ramos gives Tigers the lead

Tiverton took the lead when senior co-captain Leslie Ramos took a pass from teammate Ava Macfarlane and stuffed the ball into the goal to give the Tigers a 1-0 first-quarter lead, which turned out to be the game winner for the Tigers first ever field hockey championship.

 

"I hit a reverse and it went in," said Ramos, the Tigers center forward. "I was hoping to score being in my senior year. "It feels amazing. This is what I've always dreamed of." 

 

Coach DaSilva, in her fifth year as head coach, echoed the sentiment.

"We've been thinking about this game since September," she said. "We started off a little rocky at first, but we completely took over and dominated in the second half." 

 

Tigers' offense dominates play

The Tigers offense dominated, mustering up fifteen penalty corners and eight shots on goal. Although they couldn't slip another score by Chargers goalkeeper Nola Bellnier, they managed to keep the ball in the offensive field much of the game to preserve the victory. Tigers' midfielders Abby Gilfillen and Emma Chase controlled the middle of the field by halting nearly every Chargers attack.

 

"We wanted to capitalize on one of the penalty corners in the second half," said Macfarlane. "But the Chargers are a really strong team." 

 

Defensively, sophomore goalkeeper Cordelia Awad had to make just one save during the game. The Tigers defense faced just five penalty corners, just one in the second half. 

 

Emma Chase forces turnover, leading to Tigers' goal

Chase, a sophomore, forced a turnover at midfield and made a pass to Macfarlane, who two-handed a 25-yard pass up field to the goal box, where Ramos was stationed behind keeper. Ramos' first attempt hit a Chargers defender in the foot and rolled to the left of the goal. She pulled it back and stuffed the ball over the goal line for the game winner. She was promptly smacked to the ground by a defender after she got off her reverse shot.

 

"Honestly it looked like chaos in front of the net," said Coach DaSilva. "We spent all week practicing on turf. We knew how fast it can be and that goal happened fast."

 

"I'm not sure she even knew it went in," said Macfarlane. "I started runner to her and she looked confused as to what was happening." 

 

The Tigers, who have five seniors, Ramos, Ava Lagace, Brooklyn Correia and Emily Norris, fell in the semifinals last season. Three years ago, when they were freshmen, Tiverton didn't have enough players to field a team. Coach DaSilva began recruiting. But things didn't begin to turn around until she started coaching the girls lacrosse team two years ago. Coach DaSilva took the lacrosse team from seventh place in her first season to the semifinals last spring. She began convincing lacrosse players to play field hockey and also began a co-op with St. Mary's Bayview Academy. Currently the field hockey team boasts 20 players, three from Bayview.  

 

"We just kept fighting and in four years, we were able to turn the program around and win the state championship," she said proudly. "I am so glad we got the win. It genuinely feels amazing."